The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL 1 side suffered a 3-0 defeat to SD Raiders at Ernie Smith Reserve on Saturday afternoon, with two late goals stretching the margin after the Red & Black were reduced to 10 men.
With both sides firmly in the hunt for finals football, the contest began at a high intensity as each team looked to gain the upper hand in a crucial fixture.
The Raiders threatened early and forced Samuel Goldberg into action on several occasions, with the Wanderers goalkeeper producing a number of important saves to keep the scores level during the opening half hour.
The hosts eventually found the breakthrough in the 35th minute when Noah Chianese capitalised on an opportunity inside the penalty area to give SD Raiders a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
The Wanderers responded with greater attacking intent after half-time and looked capable of finding an equaliser. Johnny Pavlovic came agonisingly close with a curling effort that drifted narrowly wide of the far post before Marko Radovancevic was unable to convert from close range as the Red & Black continued to press.
Goldberg again came to the Wanderers’ rescue with another strong save to deny the Raiders a second goal, allowing his side to remain within striking distance entering the final 20 minutes.
The turning point came in the 74th minute when Alaat Abdul-Rahman received his second yellow card of the afternoon, reducing the Wanderers to 10 men for the remainder of the contest.
The numerical advantage allowed the Raiders to take control in the closing stages, with substitute Jakov Malbasa making an immediate impact. The striker doubled the hosts’ advantage late in the match before adding his second and the Raiders’ third in stoppage time to seal the result.
While the final scoreline was disappointing for the Red & Black, the contest was far more evenly balanced than the 3-0 margin suggested, with the Wanderers creating several promising opportunities before the sending off changed the complexion of the game.
The Wanderers will now look to regroup quickly as they turn their attention to next weekend’s fixture, with valuable points still on offer in the race for a place in the NPL NSW Men’s finals.
